Good Bye Hot Flashes

Oprah and Phil recently featured Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with the intent that women share access to effective and healthy therapy from hot flashes.

Many informed women are searching for a healthy effective substitute. Currently available, is a synthetic Wyeth drug made from horse urine, and proven to cause cancer. Also available is a bio-identical (BHRT) compounded from plants.

While my "health" care plan contracts with MEDCO to fill Rxs calling for Wyeth's HRT medication, it only requires MEDCO to reimburse for BHRT rather than to compound it (MEDCO, who compounds, has indicated a "business decision" for not compounding BHRT prescriptions).

My nearest compounding facility is 70 miles away. Furthermore, since my plan requires me to use Rite Aid or MEDCO, I can only obtain a 30-day supply versus a 90-day supply from this facility. As an active retiree who also responds to 911 calls from aged parents, this limitation adds stress rather than a health solution.

I'm looking to understand why a plan administrator and a major supplier recognize the efficacy of a healthy treatment but will only supply a proven unhealthy treatment. Hopefully someone has some insight that will help me write an effective letter to my plan coordinator and my state's insurance department.

It seems all too simplistic to me: government wants to promote health to reduce its costs yet at least Pennsylvania wants employees and retirees to have ease of access to a cancer causing medication which only creates suffering (morale), lost time from work and huge medical bills under its otherwise generous healthy coverage. MEDCO stands to make a profit under either supplied drug.

Both the healthcare administrator and the prescription provider are running amok. Pogo would have said; "We have met the enemy, and it is us".
Help me help my administrator to haul in healthcare costs.

Any suggestions, insights, solutions, or personal comments would be most welcome.